More households across the country will now able to claim £200 of energy bill support after the government changed an application scheme.
People can benefit from the extra support if they use heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), coal, or biomass for their main source of heating. Initially, households could claim the Alternative Fuels Payment (AFP) on top of the £400 Energy Bill support.
However, the AFP was not paid automatically and eligible people had to send in an application for the extra cash. Applicants had to provide evidence of alternative fuel use from September 2022, but this has now been extended backwards by three months to June 2022, the Mirror reports.
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Therefore, households can now apply for the £200 support using receipts from earlier in the year. The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said the change was introduced because some households purchased their fuel in bulk ahead of winter price rises in October.
Grant Shapps, secretary of state for energy security and net zero said: “We have already stepped in and paid half of a typical household energy bill, but we also always want to make sure support gets to those who need it. That’s why today we’re again stepping in to make sure those households using heating oil, LPG, biomass and more, can submit receipts for fuel purchases as far back as June 2022, because we recognise many households will have bought ahead of winter."
Households only have until May 31 to claim for the one-off payment. If you believe you are eligible for the AFP, you will need to fill out an online application on GOV.UK or dial 08081753287.
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